Market Roundup
One way around the omnivore’s dilemma is to go straight to one of the City’s neighborhood greenmarkets for a lesson in the organic, the homemade, the farm fresh and the locally grown. There are plenty that operate year-round, including the renowned Union Square Market in Union Square Park, the Columbia Greenmarket and the TriBeCa Greenmarket.

This is Pride
This is where gay liberation began in June 1969 and this month, the City celebrates its thriving LGBT community with Pride Week. Get inspired at the Rally in Bryant Park, walk for gay rights in the March or express yourself through dance at the Rapture on the River and Dance on the Pier events. At week’s end, unwind with family and friends at the Pridefest fair, where street performers, kid-friendly activities and tasty eats promise fun for all ages. If you can’t wait until Pride Week to celebrate, head to Jackson Heights on June 1 for the Queens LGBT Pride Parade and Festival. And for activities of a different sort, celebrate Brooklyn Pride with an interfaith service, a unique nighttime parade or a 10k charity run. For a more complete listing of Pride Month events, check out our LGBT Calendar Highlights or head to nycupandout.com.

Father’s Day
From sailing and singing to water fights and cake-eating contests, there are plenty of ways to celebrate Dad this Father’s Day Weekend. Get a head start on the festivities with a strawberry shortcake eating contest at Grand Army Plaza Greenmarket in Brooklyn. The fun continues the next day with Father’s Day in Prospect Park–complete with boat tours along the Lullwater and a special concert from Lloyd Miller of the Deedle Deedle Dees. Meanwhile in Manhattan, bring out Dad’s competitive spirit with Sail NYC’s three-hour Father’s Day Schooner Match Race, taking off from Chelsea Piers. For a more reflective approach to Father’s Day try kayaking on the Hudson. And back on land, treat dad to a home opener: the Staten Island Yankees and the Brooklyn Cyclones both kick off their seasons the week of June 16.

Open Season
It’s that time of year again when entire weekends can be planned around outdoor activities. Start with a day at one of the City’s many public beaches or pools, then cool down after hours with free entertainment under the stars. Shakespeare in the Park presents Hamlet like you’ve never experienced it before–set to a backdrop of skyscrapers peeking over the trees of Central Park. And cinema devotees will have their choice of settings for outdoor screenings–from the HBO Film Series in Bryant Park, to the high-rise locales of Rooftop Films and awe-inspiring views of Manhattan from the Brooklyn Bridge Park Summer Film Series. Don’t forget the popcorn.

Arts Scene
Metal beams that sing, paintings that surprise the eye and costumes that elevate the ordinary to the extraordinary–NYC turns the expected on its head this month with exhibitions citywide. Start with Playing the Building, an interactive installation by the artist-musician David Byrne, now at the Battery Maritime Building. Dali: Painting and Film, meanwhile, comes to MoMA at month’s end, while Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy continues at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Catch high-flyers of a different sort when Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater brings its athletic and exhilarating program to BAM for the first time in more than 35 years. Brooklyn also welcomes Met Summer Concert: Live in Prospect Park–a free evening of Verdi, Puccini, Donizetti and more performed by opera stars Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna. Back again this June is the free Museum Mile Festival and the launch of the summer-long River to River Festival, which brings music, dance, film and more to venues across Lower Manhattan. And while you’re downtown, keep an eye out for The New York City Waterfalls, the new monumental scale public art project by the artist Olafur Eliasson. Four manmade waterfalls will be on display at sites along the waterfront in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Governors Island starting June 26.

New and Notable
This month is about parties, parades and lots of pride citywide. On June 7—8, head to Madison Square Park for the Snapple Big Apple Barbecue Block Party, a weekend of live music and culinary creations from some of the country’s best pitmasters. June 8 also marks the National Puerto Rican Day Parade, where marchers and spectators join in a lively celebration of culture and heritage. Also honoring its community this month is the City’s northernmost borough: Bronx Week 2008 boasts food festivals, concerts and more. Meanwhile, Brooklyn hosts its own annual tradition, the Mermaid Parade in Coney Island, where elaborately costumed creatures of the sea march through the day and party into the night.
As a land dweller, it’s also easy to get decked out this month. Start with the wildly wonderful and theatrical designs of Christian Lacroix, now on 57th Street. For downtown style, head to the new John Varvatos store, located in the former CBGB space. And to complete the look, head to bluemercury for luxury skin products, cosmetics and even facials. Finally, treat yourself to good food and drink: Bourbon Street Bar and Grille brings the Big Easy to the Theater District, while Barrio spices up Park Slope with Mexican cuisine and an impressive margarita menu.

FEATURED EVENT LINKS

•  Pride Week
•  The Rally
•  The March
•  Rapture on the River
•  Dance on the Pier
•  Pridefest
•  Queens LGBT Pride Parade
   and Festival
•  Brooklyn Pride
•  LGBT Calendar Highlights
•  nycupandout.com
•  Strawberry shortcake eating contest
•  Father’s Day in Prospect Park
•  Father’s Day Schooner Match Race
•  Kayaking on the Hudson
•  Staten Island Yankees
•  Brooklyn Cyclones
•  City public beaches and pools
•  Hamlet
•  HBO Film Series
•  Rooftop Films
•  Playing the Building
•  Dali: Painting and Film
•  Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy
•  Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
•  Met Summer Concert: Live in
   Prospect Park
•  Museum Mile Festival
•  River to River Festival
•  The New York City Waterfalls
•  Snapple Big Apple Barbecue
   Block Party
•  National Puerto Rican Day Parade
•  Bronx Week 2008
•  Mermaid Parade
•  John Varvatos
•  bluemercury
•  Bourbon Street Bar and Grille
•  Barrio